School Design Institute to Spark New Ideas for Education Officials

from Chicago, Syrcause, Lincoln, Nashville and Peoria

WASHINGTON—JUNE 14, 2006—At its Spring 2006 School Design Institute being held here June 14-16, the American Architectural Foundation (AAF) will help school superintendents and officials from Chicago, Syracuse, Lincoln, Nashville and Peoria consider creative solutions to challenging school facility issues in their cities.

As part of AAF’s Great Schools by Design program, the institute brings together school superintendents and a national resource team with expertise in school design, urban planning and civic engagement for interactive sessions designed to develop new ideas and share knowledge.

“The School Design Institute gives local school officials a unique opportunity to present their issues to a team of experts from around the country,” said Ronald E. Bogle, president and chief executive officer, of the American Architectural Foundation. “Following past institutes, attendees have gone back to their cities with new ideas about school siting to help local neighborhoods, ways to build stronger school-community partnerships and by developing innovative ways to improve existing facilities.”

Attending the Spring School Design Institute are the following officials:

Sean P. Murphy, chief operating officer, Chicago, IL, Public Schools
Daniel Lowengard, Superintendent, Syracuse, NY, Public Schools
E. Susan Gourley, Ph.D., Superintendent, Lincoln, NE, Public Schools
Pedro Garcia, Ph.D., Superintendent, Metropolitan Nashville, TN, Public Schools
Ken Hinton, Superintendent Peoria, IL, Public Schools

The resource team consists of the following individuals:

Peter Brown, Principal, Perkins and Will, Dallas, TX
Ed Feiner, Director, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Washington, D.C.
Jennifer Hurley, President and CEO, Hurley-Franks & Associates, Philadelphia, PA
Christian Long, President and CEO, DesignShare, Fort Worth, TX
Tom Roger, Vice President and Project Executive, Gilbane Building Company, New Haven, CT
Roy Strickland, Professor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

AAF’s Great Schools by Design program is supported through the contributions of its presenting partner, Target, its founding partners Herman Miller, Inc., and McGraw-Hill Construction, and through the support of KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Cisco Systems, Inc. and the American Institute of Architects.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN ARCHITECTURAL FOUNDATION
The American Architectural Foundation (AAF) is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that educates individuals and communities about the power of architecture to transform lives and improve the places where we live, learn, work, and play. AAF’s programs include: Mayors’ Institute on City Design and Great Schools by Design – highly regarded initiatives that help improve the built environment through the collaboration of thought leaders, designers, and local communities. Through its outreach programs, grants, exhibitions, and educational resources, the American Architectural Foundation helps people become thoughtful and engaged stewards of the world around them. For more information, please visit www.archfoundation.org.

Media Contact:
Helen Wechsler
American Architectural Foundation
(202) 626-7372
hwechsler@archfoundation.org

Program Contact:
Nancy Zivitz Sussman
American Architectural Foundation
202-626-7412
nzsuussman@archfoundation.org